The present invention relates principally to furniture, such as desks, tables, credenzas, returns, cabinets and tile like, and, more particularly, to a wire management system for such articles of furniture.
Heretofore, various proposals have been made for managing the numerous wires, cables, cords and the like associated with a wide variety of equipment found in the modern office. Freestanding lights, calculators, printers, computers, telephone lines and other communications data wires may all be found at a single desk or work station. Unless provision is made to route tile wires and the like interiorly of the desk structure, a cluttered and inefficient work environment will result which also detracts significantly from the aesthetics of the furniture.
Various wire management systems which have been proposed include access openings in the vertical panels of the furniture and in the tops. Provision has been made for closing the access openings when not needed for wire management purposes. Prior approaches have included elongated wiring channels or troughs which run the full length or width of the desk, credenza or the like and within which the various wires and cables are routed. In addition, office furniture has been provided with removable panels to provide access to the interior and to the wiring channels and ducts. Examples of prior proposals may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 1,786,823 entitled DESK, which issued on Dec. 30, 1930 to Carrington et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,202 entitled DESK HAVING ELECTRICAL SUPPLY LINES WHICH ARE LAID IN THE TABLE, which issued on May 13, 1975 to Konig; U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,045 entitled MODULAR STRUCTURE, which issued on Nov. 25, 1975 to Meyer; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,867 entitled WIRING ACCESS SYSTEM FOR DESKS AND THE LIKE, which issued on Aug. 7, 1979 to Breidenbach. efficiency while remaining aesthetically pleasing, with reduced cost and complexity from that heretofore found.